The Sun reports that the 65-year-old has been forced to quit as an ITV soccer pundit after describing Chelsea defender Marcel Desailly thus after Tuesday night’s Champions’ League game.

His words, which he thought were made off-air, were picked up by a mike and broadcast to fans watching an Arab channel.

They also heard Desailly described as a ‘cheating bum’, Juan Sebastian Veron as a ‘lazy fuck’ and some viewers claim he also referred to the Blues’ manager Claudio Ranieri as a ‘wop’ (which the Sun helpfully explains to its readers is a derogatory term for an Italian).

Atkinson excused his remarks by saying that he had no idea his comments were being broadcast and apologised to Desailly.

‘I feel as low as I have ever felt since I came into football,’ he said. ‘I am particularly upset because nobody is less of a racist than me.’

Well, we’d suggest there may be a few people who are less racist than Ron. Readers of the Express, for example…’